Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-11-25
he had discovered, his eyes fell on q
tall tree, a short distance off, crowned,
by mass of the largest leaves he had

he had discovered, his eyes fell on
tall tree, a short distance off, crowned,
by u mass of the largest leaves he had
ever beheld, among which grew some
thing that appeared like small melon,
and on going ne irer he ound that this
was no other than the famous bread
fruit, of which he had often heard. III
so. | need fear no hunger. he eXclalm-
ed; "and. Rex, | see You can keep
Yourself in bones" n the dog came
back licking his chops. Cocoanut and
palm trees were also found on the
island, and many gorgeous tropical
( plants; but it proved to be quite unin'
( habited.
For a week Peter watched, hoping
and PRAYING that some others might
/ also have been saved; but day by day
hope faded and it became pretty evil
dent that he an Rex were the sole sur
Vivors of the wreck. Much timber,
parts of the Inflated Sea Gull. loated
ashore. and of this Peter constructed a
rude hut, while he wept for JOY when
/ one day he came upon his own tool
/ chest, half buried in the sand. Many a
useful TN NJ, and many comfort. too,
was washed up by the waves from the
suuken vessel a it gradually went TO
/ pieces.
Rex. old boy, we will make our
selves as comfortable as possible; but 1t
can't be long efOre a ship Will come
this way, and then no for home, AMI
Mercy and little Reuben. SO Peter
would talk to the dog, while he daily
scanned the distant horizon for a pass
ing sail, and sent out bottle after bottle
from all sides of the island, each con
tanning slip of paper on which " as
written the same words: Ship ahOy
For the sake of humanity, steer to the
small island lying about twenty-five
degrees and five minutes south longi'
tude one hundred and thirty degrees
and y minutes west. a shipwrecked
unfortunate anxiously awaits your
coming
But DAYS became weeks. weeks
months, and months years, and still no
vessel hove in sight, while at last the
convict on dawned upon poor Petel
that he must be very far out of the
regular course then travcrsed. Ant
then what a boon Rex was TO the miser
able mani He was a friend. cOniidan'
and comforter all in one: while at
word from his master. he would swim
out to the wreck, and return with vari-
ous articles in his mouth-bits of cloth
NO. kitchen utensils. and even bag
of gold and silver coins, which, how
ever, were worthless as pebbles IN tina
.onely SPOT. Far more valuab e was
edar box which one morning the do!
aid at Peters feet, and which had be
ionLed TO one of the men bound fol
Ne, Zealand; for it proved to contain
packages of both vegetable and flowe
seeds. a well a some Old copies OF al
agricultural paper The gorgeous cac
tus flowers, the ighly-scented 'es>a
mines, orange blossoms, acaciaS an,
towering ferns were all very well, bu
TO Yankee Peter they counted 70
nothing by the side of familiar holly
hooks, lark>purs, lady delights am
heartsease, the very names of whc!
took him back to the old-fashione,
gardens at Bithedale; and he joyfull'
planted the seeds in the little plot o
ground surrounding his house, an,
found his chief pleasure in cultivatn,
what he named Mercy : flowers,
while the papers ere read and re-reaC
again and again, until they were near
f lV tLrpadbare